In this thread please list your most favourite contemporary teachers/monks.

Mine are:

Ajahn BrahmAjahn ChahBhikkhu BodhiMahasi Sayadaw

Last edited by Sumano on Fri Apr 04, 2014 5:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I am on the path, however not yet advanced. Any opinions or insights I share are meant entirely for discussion purposes and in cases where people might find them beneficial in whatever way. Since I am not advanced on the Path, I cannot guarantee that what I say will always necessarily be 100% true or in line with the Dhamma. However, having had an extremely interesting life with a wide variety of different (many of them deep) experiences, I hope that anything I share will be of use, provide food for thought, and inspire interesting and beneficial discussions.

“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.” - Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:in mountain clefts and chasms,loud gush the streamlets,but great rivers flow silently.- Sutta Nipata 3.725

I'm just curious which teachers are the most popular. Maybe I can learn about teachers and their teachings I know little about.

It's not for comparing teacher with teacher and see which one wins — they are all good.

I am on the path, however not yet advanced. Any opinions or insights I share are meant entirely for discussion purposes and in cases where people might find them beneficial in whatever way. Since I am not advanced on the Path, I cannot guarantee that what I say will always necessarily be 100% true or in line with the Dhamma. However, having had an extremely interesting life with a wide variety of different (many of them deep) experiences, I hope that anything I share will be of use, provide food for thought, and inspire interesting and beneficial discussions.

“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.” - Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:in mountain clefts and chasms,loud gush the streamlets,but great rivers flow silently.- Sutta Nipata 3.725

Why I like them: 1) for panna, humility, simplicity of life 2) for dhamma knowledge, great reformist public service3) bringing to light many obscure dhamma knowledge, dedication to monastic/meditative livelihood4) being simple, direct and publicly conscious in his teachings5) his sila (wholesomeness), humour and hard work at his role

Why I like them: 1) for panna, humility, simplicity of life 2) for dhamma knowledge, great reformist public service3) bringing to light many obscure dhamma knowledge, dedication to monastic/meditative livelihood4) being simple, direct and publicly conscious in his teachings5) his sila (wholesomeness), humour and hard work at his role

With metta

Matheesha

I picked the four that I did because (1) I've had personal contact with them, (2) they're teachings are mainly focused on meditation and other practical aspects of the path, and (3) I've found their teachings useful.

I would also like to note the very earnest female interpretor who summarizes so many of Sayadaw U Pandita's talks available here and there on the net. She's cool, you can really feel the saddha in her speaking. (I assume she's a she, could be a bhikkhu with a very high voice...)

1. Ven Phra Khru Jaran Thitadhammo: his most practical teachings of the vipassana meditation and the Buddha's teachings turned me into a Buddhist. Thank you for teaching me to solve my daily life problems using the Buddha's teachings! 2. Ven Sayadaw U Thuzana, a disciple of Ven Sayadaw U Pandita who in turn is a disciple of Mahasi Sayadaw: having close contact with him for several weeks in meditation retreats arouses such admiration in me for him and the practice of mindfulness meditation. The way he speaks, talks and conducts himself is in such mindfulness and composure that makes me strive in my meditation practice.3. Ven Acara Suvanno Mahathera, a Malaysian Theravada pioneer monk: having able to comprehend his Dhamma talks spoken in a Chinese dialect makes me so much respectful for the Buddha, Dhamma and him. He was able to explain the very details of the Buddha's teachings in the dialect and could relate well to the lives of individuals. 4. Master Cheng Yen: the founder of Taiwan Buddhist Compassion Relief, also known to be the Eastern Mother Theresa. Is drawn to her teachings because of her strong emphasis on putting the Buddha's words into action: self-cultivation as well as compassion in relieving sufferings of other beings.

Ven Bodhi - for whom I am profoundly grateful is my teacher - for opening up the Suttas. Before, they were opaque - now when I read them - I can see. Additionally, his modesty, brilliance and sense of humour and commitment for truth and justice in the world are inspiring.

SN Goenka whose Hindi lectures (during my first course) and his nice Hindi books introduced me to the Buddha's profound teachings. Otherwise, like most of the Nepalese, I had impression that the Buddha is just a regular religious figure who advocated the importance of peace in the world. Further, I used to hear that Hindus should respect him as an incarnation of Vishnu, and that since he was "born in Nepal" we should feel very proud.

Bhikkhu Bodhi, and Thanissaro Bhikkhu are also my favourite teachers; I have read and liked many of their articles and translations. Because I did not find any good translations of Tipitaka in Nepali I had to read English translations even when I was in Nepal.

Which living Dhamma teacher(s)/masters(s) have you had direct contact with and have been inspired by or for some reason repeatedly drawn to their teachings. What was it about that person and your experience that you found compelling or influential? For example it may be admiration for their wisdom or conduct or how highly they are regarded/respected by wise elders.

For some it may not be a person rather the Dhamma itself or someone who has passed away; I hope this thread can be focused on people sharing their experience of living masters so that readers may visit them if they wish and see how the Dhamma is being sustained by present day exemplars.

While many teachers have been discussed in various threads I thought it would be useful if they were gathered into a single thread. While I have read many books from the great Dhamma teachers and have seen videos I lack personal experience with a great teacher. At the end of the year I will be visiting Thailand and perhaps Sri Lanka and hope to be able to visit some of the people recommended here.

Let us know if they are a lay practitioner or monastic and where they are living (don't limit your sharing to the countries I mentioned).

Thankyou!

EDIT: Apologises to all, I posted this (in an incorrect area) not realising a similar thread had already started - I should have checked here first! It does still hold though. Perhaps instead of just giving a list of people you could include a salient point or two besides each name to give context to the reader.

Last edited by patientvalue on Sun Aug 07, 2011 7:56 am, edited 1 time in total.